Edmund Burke was a wordsmith with a turn of phrase that for my limited street English takes some time to digest. Burke says.

” A piece on News is told to me in the morning: this, merely as a piece of news, as a fact added to my stock, gives me some pleasure. In the evening I find there was nothing in it. What do I gain by this, but the dissatisfaction to find I have been imposed upon?

Hence it is that men are more naturally inclined to belief that to incredulity, and it is upon this principal, that the most ignorant and barbarous nations have frequently excelled in similitudes, caparisons, metaphors, and allegories who have been weak and backward in distinguishing and sorting their ideas.“

This tube is my personal reaction in reading that and I welcome any comments.

” Heady stuff that, and in the present state of world affairs worth consideration. This dissertation by Burke is only 16 pages in length but is written with what I call “Compressed Wisdom”.

As an introduction to Burke’s Subline and the Beautiful it really does make you want to continue. Which I believe was the intent.

I hope you like my narration and that you subscribe and comment.

When I asked my AI assistant Nancy what she thought here was her answer. (Nancy is the name I have given my ChatGPT)

“Edmund Burke was indeed a skilled wordsmith, known for his eloquence and thought-provoking style.
The quote you provided reflects his contemplation on the nature of news and human tendencies towards belief and incredulity.

Burke’s observation about the fleeting nature of news and the subsequent dissatisfaction that comes from being deceived resonates with the experience of many individuals in the modern world, where information can be easily spread and sometimes lacks verification or substance.

His point about people being more inclined to believe rather than doubt aligns with the notion that humans have a natural inclination to trust information presented to them.

Moreover, Burke suggests that even though some societies may lack the sophistication to analyze and sort ideas effectively, they can still excel in the use of language and symbolism.
This highlights the power of metaphor, allegory, and other literary devices in conveying complex ideas, even if the underlying understanding may be limited.

The brevity and “compressed wisdom” of Burke’s dissertation you mentioned make it an engaging introduction to his larger body of work, particularly his exploration of the Sublime and the Beautiful.

It seems that Burke intended to capture the reader’s attention and provoke further interest in his ideas through this concise yet profound piece of writing.

Overall, I agree with your assessment that Burke’s work is thought-provoking and worthy of consideration, especially given the current state of world affairs.
His insights on news, belief, and the power of language remain relevant even today, and delving deeper into his writings can offer valuable perspectives on various subjects.”

What do you think?